


The pain and rage of Miss von Hresvelg

by SaberNezumi



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Punk, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F!Byleth, F/F, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22965175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaberNezumi/pseuds/SaberNezumi
Summary: "Next Friday we have a gig on Crimson Gardens, I'll tell those in charge of the backdoor to let you in", Edelgard leaned against the entrance door and, still looking at Dorothea, pushed it with her weight to open it. "Don't take it as an obligation, but I would love you to attend".University classes in the morning. Band practice or shift at the store in the afternoon. Return home by bus at night. Study sessions until two in the morning. Sleep. Repeat. Dorothea was immersed in a tedious routine, until one night a group of punks crossed her path. Paint cans, masked faces and a pair of guards following their footsteps.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33
Collections: 2020 Edelthea Secret Valentines Exchange





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lesbianryuko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianryuko/gifts).



> Written for refreshmints's Edelthea Secret Valentines Exchange. Happy belated Valentine's Day Ash (@lesbianryuko on Twitter). One of the prompts was "Modern Punk/Band AU". I started with the idea of the last chapter and developed the story from there, almost like a story of first encounters. Although, the "Edelthea" parts could be considered subtle, but I hope you enjoy it. I apologize for posting so on top of the hard deadline.

It was the first time she found herself inside a cell. It was cold and damp, and it didn't have a smelly toilet on a corner as she had read in some old black novel years ago. There was only one bench, on which one of the people with whom she had been arrested hours before slept, resting her head on the lap of another detainee. Although it wasn’t small, being with ten other people inside that cell, the space for each one of them was limited to say the least. The boys weren’t having a better time, the cell in front of hers, in which they had locked up the men, had eighteen people inside in the same square meters.

The possibility of being deprived of freedom had never crossed her mind until a few days ago, when the person at her side warned them about it. _Security will be higher than usual, they'll surely arrest a large number of protesters_ , she had said, looking her straight in the eyes. But, although she could perfectly remember the chill that ran down her back at that moment, she wouldn't describe what she felt at the moment as fear. On the contrary, she felt relatively calm. After all, the cell floor was hard and uncomfortable, but she wasn't sharing it with strangers.

Perhaps she had committed madness, but she was sure that no matter how many years passed, she wouldn't regret it a bit. On the contrary, she haven't felt that degree of catharsis for years. She closed her eyes for a moment, if she pay attention it was possible to hear the conversations coming from the police station's reception. Some cops were denying the fact that they were there, while activist were reciting legislative codes on the rights that were being transgressed.

She sighed and immediately held her breath, she didn't want to wake up the person beside her. The girl was resting her head on her left shoulder and emitted a sound of protest at the sudden movement. She bite her lip, a little angry with herself. But the girl didn't wake up.

A soft smile appeared on Dorothea's lips.

Even though she was sure the clashes with the police continue a few kilometers away, the night sky she could see through the cell's small window gave her the impression of a false serenity.


	2. Track 01

It was a slow afternoon in the store, with only a couple of customers turning down the aisles looking for a particular CD or band that caught their attention. The usual playlist was already on its third repetition, but it was a good selection of songs, so it didn't bother her to be able to hum most of the lyrics by heart.

Dorothea had been trying to finish a poetry book written by an ancient adrestian noble for about two hours now, but she was at that point where she could read the same verse over and over again, and it made no sense. And the deadline for its respective analysis was due by the end of that week. She covered her face with the book and let out a sigh of frustration against its pages. She leaned on the back legs of the chair behind the counter and stayed a few seconds in that position, until she got tired of keeping her balance, dropping forward again. She decided to continue reading after taking a few minutes of rest. None of the clients seemed to be interested in getting her help, so she began to check if something interesting was happening on the net.

It was on Twitter where something caught her attention. Most of the local trending topics were related to a specific issue, and that among them one of the most conservative political organizations that worked within the university she attended was also mentioned.

**#WelcomeArchbishopRhea #ChurchOfSeiros #HolyKingdomAssociation #GMU**

Dorothea didn't have to go pass the third tweet to learn that, through a press conference held earlier that morning, Dimitri Blaiddyd, head of the Holy Kingdom Association, had announced that his efforts to bring Rhea, the highest authority from the Church of Seiros, as a guest to make a talk in the dependencies of the university had been fruitful. In some news portal clip, Dimitri could be seen, as always, neatly dressed, giving a perfect speech about the history that united the Church with the nobles of Faerghus and its monarchy, and how happy he was to have achieved, for a figure as important as the Archbishop to visit Garreg Mach University. Behind him, as usual, was his right hand, Dedue Molinaro and other students, each one a representative of their state. Behind them, hung banners exhibited the shield of Faerghus and that of the Church of Seiros.

The following tweets were a mixture of repetitions of the same news and video by different portals, or different opinions of users who were against or in favor of the visit. Dorothea didn't know exactly how to feel about it. She respected other people's beliefs or lack thereof, but this went beyond religion; with the growing power of the Church and the way its more prominent figures had gradually amassed great political influence, Dorothea knew that there would be opposition from certain political sectors and citizen vindication movements. It wouldn't be tranquil days; she was sure of that.

"In this era of great uncertainty, in which our faith is tested day by day, what better way to strengthen our alliance with the Church than by inviting–"

The characteristic sound of the bell by the store's door reached her ears, interrupting Dimitri's voice, announcing the arrival of a possible client. A familiar group of people entered. Every few weeks they came to use the small recording studio that the owner had in the back.

The group was led by a boy with green hair up to his shoulders, wearing a baggy sweater from a band that had separated a few years ago, and jeans that looked quite comfortable. His rings emitted a slight metallic sound when they hit the wood of the counter. The boy told her that he had called the day before to see if the studio would be empty. As always, Dorothea wrote his name in a notebook they keep, since she had it memorized, and asked him how many hours they planned to use it.

"Hey ... how long do you think it'll take?", Linhardt asked the older boy at his back, then carefully covered his mouth when yawning.

"Whatever it takes. The plan is to start distributing the song at the next gig”, was the answer, the boy passed by without looking at them. Dorothea didn't know his name, and because of his somewhat intimidating appearance, she didn't feel much interest in getting to know it either. His somewhat greasy hair covered half of his face, which did not prevent him from having a penetrating look accentuated by makeup that didn't seek to hide the dark circles under her eyes, on the contrary. On his back he carried the case of his guitar, it was worn and full of stickers from bands and political claims. He wore a simple black t-shirt with a pair of detachable long sleeves and tight black pants torn at the knees, topped by metal-tipped boots covered with metal plates and spikes of different sizes. They seemed designed to tip the scales in possible brawls.

Linhardt seemed to want to talk back for a moment, but his words were drowned by the loud voice of another boy who passed by the counter, leaning over the drum set he was dragging with a hand trolley. "Move over, sleepyhead, instruments on the way!". He wore denim shorts cut over the knees, a t-shirt with the distorted faces of the four saints of the Church of Seiros and worn out sneakers with half-tied laces. The appearance of the fingerless leather gloves he was using, torn at the knuckles, in addition to a split lip and the fresh wounds of a pair of earrings that seemed to have been forcibly removed, Dorothea concluded that he hadn't left completely unharmed from the last mosh pit he had been to. His look was completed by a mohawk who had also need a little work.

Her eyes followed the two boys, through the window that led to part of the studio she could see them begin to prepare the instruments for recording. To be honest, it was impossible to obtain the cleanest possible sound in that room, but for the price at which the owner rented it, it was a luxury. Linhardt pulled a few bills of various denominations from one of the back pockets of his pants, dropping them on the table. Then he approached the window that overlooked the street and tap it, enough to get the attention of the rest of the group that wasn't in yet. He wrote the dollar sign with his index finger in the window and another boy told him to wait a little while he finished helping to lower the rest of the instruments.

He was the only one who didn't seem to fit in the group at first glance. His more casual clothes, lack of earrings, piercings or tattoos, unless they weren't obvious; he wasn't the kind of person you'd expect to find hanging around at a punk music store. He was who always drove the van in which they moved and who stayed outside waiting for others, only a few times entering the store to take a look. But the only thing that really caught Dorothea's attention was the length of her ginger hair, which on clear days seemed to shine brightly in the sun.

The boy took out a couple of missing cymbals and handed them carefully to the girl waiting for them. So far, Dorothea had never been able to see her face clearly, since she hides it under her sweater's hood and rarely took her eyes off the ground. Only a few strands of light purple hair seem to escape the shadow of her clothing. Linhardt knocked on the glass again before turning to head for the studio.

The girl passed by a few seconds later with a slight jog in front of the counter, speeding up the pace and clearly trying to avoid by all means crossing glances with any of the other people who were originally in the store. A pair of drumsticks fell from one of the multiple pockets of her pants. For a second the girl made a gesture of turning around and picking them up, but seeing that Dorothea stood up from her seat behind the counter with the intention of helping her, a small scream of surprise was heard in the aisle, before the girl ran to hide in the studio with her other bandmates.

"Run anxiously like a rabbit in the open field", Dorothea was about to get out from behind the counter when a girl carrying a bass case appeared at her side and went to pick the drumsticks. Toasted skin, furiously purple hair, torn jeans, multiple chains attached to her leather belt, suspenders on a tank top and a long gray sleeveless plaid flannel that allowed her to show the large number of tattoos that covered her arms. "You're supposed to receive this", the girl let her know before giving Dorothea two crumpled twenty-dollar bills.

"I like the new tattoo, what kind of bird is it?", Dorothea asked, pointing to the small bird that seemed to be halfway flying in the neck of the girl. After a smile, she replied, "It's an eagle native to my hometown".

From the street came the sound of the van door closing, and a few seconds later the jingle of the door's bell. Leaning on the shelf where they kept the mountains of old and new zines they distributed, Dorothea stepped aside to make way for the last member of the band. Tight black pants, a high neck top up to a little below her chin and a leather jacket covered with pins and button badges, on its back a large patch with the Seiros's crest symbol on fire. A large number of earrings and piercings adorned each of her ears, delineating from her helix to her lobes. Her white hair contrasted with the black of her outfit, as was the paleness of the few instances of bare skin she shown: her face, fingers, and nothing more. Regardless of the type of weather, always the same.

Besides Linhardt, she was the only other person Dorothea knew the name of, but that was nothing to brag about. If the rest of the clients paid attention, surely, they could also discern who she was. After all, almost a decade ago, her face was in every television and newspaper. The news media didn't talk about anything other than the tragedy that had fallen on the family of one of the most renowned political figures in the country. Accused of being a traitor for trying to find a middle ground between the Church of Seiros and those who opposed them, and thereby trying to implement policies that would end up centralizing power in the region even more, his children and wife would end up paying the price of his decisions with their lives, all except one, Edelgard von Hresvelg. To date, no guilty parties have been established, but what was clear is that for Ionius IX the incident was devastating, being abandoned by the Church and used by its supposed allies as a mere political puppet for years to come. And in the middle of all that, abandoned to her own fate, Edelgard.

Dorothea didn't understand much about the internal functioning of current politics, but whenever The Black Eagles appeared in the store to record a new song or to leave some of their latest publications on the zines shelf, she couldn't help ending up thinking about their vocalist. They had been born in different worlds and, above all, as children their lives couldn't have been more opposite. Dorothea didn't remember with joy those years living from shelter to shelter, eating unsavory meals and the cold nights huddled next to her mother trying not to shiver; much less the day she died, and her childhood ended at the same time the authorities decided to throw her in the system. But sometimes she saw the violet eyes of that girl, and the rage they seemed to hide, and wondered if it would be similar to hers.

She returned behind the counter and put the money on the register, then dropped into her usual chair and took in her hand the book she had to finish reading before that night if she wanted to have time to write a fairly decent essay about it. She could hear the band making the last preparations for their session. The light blue mohawk boy ran back once they no longer needed his help and met with his friend outside the store, who had sat on the sidewalk with his headphones.

The light above the studio door came on and the muffled sound of the instruments filled the store. A voice rose above the distortion.

_We flipped our finger to the King of Liberation  
Stole our country from the natives  
With the Goddess on our side and arms in our hands  
We took it for our own  
A nation dedicated to liberty  
Justice and equality  
Does it look that way to you?  
It doesn't look that way to me  
The sickest joke I know_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is a modification of 'Merican by Descendents lyrics.


	3. Track 02

"Miss Arnault", she hated the condescending tone with which the dean in charge of the music program always addressed her. "I remind you that the only reason you are in this university is because of the recommendation and sponsorship of the alumni Casagranda”.

Dorothea bit the inside of her lower lip and tried that the discomfort she felt wasn't apparent on her face. They didn't have to repeat it to her, she knew very well that if it wasn't for Manuela... she couldn't really imagine what would have happened to her if Manuela hadn't taken her out of the streets when she escaped from her foster home. It was more than just being her patron or her musical mentor. The songstress had given her more than just nice clothes, delicious meals or a warm bed to sleep on. Manuela had reminded her of what it was like to feel part of a family. Even if it was just the two of them, it was more than enough. Dorothea had an eternal debt to her. So, although she was sure of her talents as a singer, she also knew that Manuela had played an important part in the fact that she could enter a university that used to be reserved only for the country's elite. And in a certain way, it still is.

“We have received a complaint about your performance again. Why does this course in particular seem to be so difficult for yourself?”, the dean read once again the document that had arrived on behalf of the professor in charge of the course in question. Dorothea could put her hands in a fire pit betting on the fact that neither of the two pages contained the real problem she had with that man.

After all, the program's supervisor hadn't believed a single word when she approached her to denounce the unwanted advances she was receiving from that teacher.

“Just… reflect on it. It's not a good record for our institutional image that one of our special admission students begins to obtain notes that barely exceed the average”, and with a gesture towards the door, the dean ended the conversation.

If Dorothea bit a little harder her lip, it would end up bleeding. So, she took a second to calm down, struggling with her desire to slam the door as she left, and simply left the office quietly. It was already late and a long practice session in the main auditorium was waiting for her. Her stomach growled, for a moment the only thing in her head were the leftovers from the day before that waited for her small apartment's refrigerator. Dorothea took a sip of the water bottle she carried in her bag and hurried to the other side of the university.

When she finally left the main auditorium after a session that lasted longer than expected, barely glimmering sunbeams were glimpsed over the old university buildings. Night would fall just in a few more minutes. At that time, the university offices looked almost empty, only a few students circulated between each one and little by little the lanterns beside the main road lit up. Only the Central Library remained functioning in its night shift.

Dorothea said goodbye to the people who had gone outside with her, who headed for the bedrooms. Every practice with the band was almost the same at the end, a large part of her classmates walked to the university's internal dormitories or drove home. No one lived in the direction she was heading, so she ended up walking alone to the campus's exit closest to a bus stop. Dorothea looked to each side of the road, inspecting the surroundings and, after adjusting her bag, headed to the bus stop. Identification in hand in case any guard would require it.

“Buy coffee at the corner store. Take a shower, yesterday's pajamas should still be clean. Heat leftovers in the oven for dinner. Wash the dishes. It's a bit late, so there should be few people in the laundry room, or no one... maybe I'll go down with the clothes from the last couple of days. Then, the only thing left to finish is the notes on Arnold Schoenberg's Musical Composition. And maybe sleep a couple of hours", she repeated in her head and heaved a sigh.

Although the day was about to end, no matter how small the task was, everything sounded strenuous. A routine in which she sank more day after day and something inside her felt strangely uncomfortable about it. She constantly seemed to hear a voice telling her that she should get off at an unknown stop because of the simple feeling about what was coming up the street could be worse. But, if she did, no one could assure her that that place was the correct one...

She was about to descend the stairs that led to the street when a shout behind her abruptly pulled her out of her thoughts, Dorothea couldn't locate where it originated 'cause she immediately found herself on the ground after crashing into a girl that was running in the same direction, trying to get away from a group of people. Dorothea lost her breath for a moment, and when she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by a no small amount of papers that had ended up scattered on the floor. The girl rubbed her head, whining in a quiet voice, tangling her fingers in light purple hair.

“All right, gotcha!”, a boy came running next to them and without wasting time he took the injured girl in his arms and hurried down the stairs. Although the two had half of their faces covered with bandannas, it wasn't difficult for Dorothea to recognize them.

“Stop!”, the voice of a security guard could be heard in the distance. "The suspects are heading to exit number four!"

Another boy ran past her, this time with a somewhat more elaborate gas mask. In his hands he carried a couple of cans of spray paint still dripping. He was immediately followed by a girl of almost the same size, who bent down to collect as many papers as she could from the ground. Her bag collided with the ground; a clear metallic sound filled the air.

“We give you a surprise. Sorry", she said before standing up and running downstairs. Although she also wore a large bandanna covering her face, Dorothea could swear she noticed a smile under it.

The shouts of the guard were heard louder and louder and the light of his lantern could be seen illuminating the treetops, nearby walls and the floor erratically. Dorothea sat up in her forearms, enough to see the next person with more clarity. She was running with a backpack and the metal ornaments on her leather jacket outlined her silhouette in the nightlight. As soon as her foot approached the edge of the stairs she jumped, without slowing down, and Dorothea saw her land on the nearest stair landing without too much of a trouble. Then she heard the screeching of the tires of a approaching car, which stopped abruptly in front of the university entrance. She recognized the old van immediately. One of its doors burst open and as they reached its side, one by one the members of The Black Eagles threw themselves inside. The last one to pass by her side was that intimidating looking boy, who put one of his fingers over his lips, letting her know that it would be best to remain silent. Apparently, he had recognized her too. Before running down the stairs, he paused a second to empty a jar of glue on the floor and Dorothea could hear a somewhat grim laugh before he ran towards the van. With all its members on board, the mohawk boy closed the sliding door tightly and the van drove down the street at high speed.

Dorothea stood up instantly when the security guard came to her side, panting, and although the glue didn't make him fall or anything, it caused a large amount of paper to stick to his boots, which clearly bothered him while trying to quickly descend the stairs. A few meters behind him came another pair of security guards, one went down using the far side of the stairs to avoid the glue and remaining papers, while the other stayed next to her to catch his breath. When he did, he tightly gripped one of Dorothea's shoulders, taking her by surprise.

"Your ID. Now", he demanded in a more aggressive tone than was really necessary.

At that moment, Dorothea was aware that she had dropped the identification she held in her hand minutes before, and it was nowhere to be seen. She made the gesture of bending down to check if perhaps it was under one of the papers that had fallen, but the guard stopped her. He took his handheld radio and reported that he had detained someone suspicious. When Dorothea was about to protest, assuring that she was a student of the university, he shut her up and sent her to the security office to corroborate her version.

She sat at the desk of another security staff for a little more than an hour, who confirmed that she was a second-year student of the music program. Without losing a beat, he reprimanded her for not carrying her identification with her. When it was time to be questioned about what had happened, Dorothea simply said that everything had been too confusing and, because of the low luminosity of the place, she couldn't describe any characteristics of those who were escaping from the staff.

While she was detained, Dorothea managed to hear some of the conversations between the guards that came and went. For what they said, one side of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy had been vandalized and the car in which the perpetrators escaped had no visible identification or distinguishable characteristics. The police had been alerted of what happened, but there wasn't much else they could do at that hour. They let her go after informing her that in the following days she could be contacted to repeat her statement to the police if necessary.

Dorothea left the building somewhat sore and with a certificate in hand that proved she was a student at the university, while she solve the problem with her student ID. She looked at the time on her cellphone and cursed under her breath. She would have to walk back to her apartment. Dorothea thought about the money that was left in her bank account and if it would be wise to spend a little of it to take a taxi... but she wouldn't be paid within ten more days. Bothering Manuela about money issues not related to her university debt wasn't an option for her.

Since it wasn't more buses driving by at this hour, she decided to head to the Faculty of Chemical Sciences to see exactly what the guards were referring to. Some students were also there, taking photos or simply admiring the disaster. Although Dorothea wouldn't really describe it that way. On the contrary, she wouldn't object to leaving it as it was.

A graffiti of Rhea was rising from the ground and across the wall, almost two meters in height and in a somewhat caricatured style, but her archbishop's clothes were easily recognizable, just like that smile that seemed never to leave her lips when she showed herself to the Church's followers. But the real deal was the thick lines of red spray paint that revealed other, less perfect, less divine facets. Two horns made their way between her green hair, long teeth escaping from her lips, other lines highlighted the hardness of her eyes, claws instead of hands, a long tail curled around her feet, parts of her fair skin covered with scales and, being the most striking of all, the pair of wings spread in full length, looking similar to those of bats. A dragon like those of ancient stories. Or a demon.

Around the graffiti and along the rest of the wall, multiple copies of a manifesto explaining the opposition that Rhea would encounter during his visit were glued. Dorothea made sure to take pictures of the entire intervention to share it on her social networks, especially a clear one of the message they wanted to massify.

_“… They receive your money in the name of a higher power. But in their eyes only some of you deserve salvation. Your sins doesn’t' matter, the strength of your faith doesn't matter. Only the power you can provide for them is what counts on their scale. Pray every morning, every afternoon, every night, everything will be fine they say. But we say... No more saints, no more kings, no more court jesters! The Goddess is in front of your eyes, but not in the way you believe"._

Her stomach growled. It was time to walk home.


	4. Track 03

She stopped a few steps away from the store's door. In the curb in front of the entrance were two figures who she soon recognized. Dorothea was sure they were waiting for her. One of them was playing clueless with a lighter. She immediately felt like turning around, but, although she had given herself the freedom to miss her morning classes, she couldn't do the same with her work. Dorothea thought about the hours it had taken her to walk back home the night before and the fact that she had no coffee to drink in the morning because the store where she used to buy it had already closed by the time she finally reached the street where her building was. Then, she took a few steps towards the two girls. Her only wish was to leave the whole problem behind.

"I didn't give away your identities to the guards, and much less to the police if that's what you want to know", the obvious annoying tone of her voice startled Edelgard and her companion, who turned in her direction. "I have nothing more to talk to you".

“Wait, that's not…”, the other girl had begun to say, while Edelgard was silent, looking closely at Dorothea, but she didn't have time to finish.

Without looking back, she entered the store and went to the employees' locker to leave her things. When she came out again and settled in her usual place behind the counter, the two girls were still standing outside the store, this time in the company of the boy with greasy hair, who had apparently returned from buying cigarettes in the kiosk up the street.

After a few seconds, Edelgard entered the store and headed straight to the counter. In response, Dorothea raised the volume of the music they had as background, which didn't go unnoticed to the newcomer. It was the first time Dorothea had seen her so closely. The girl seemed somewhat uncomfortable, since she avoided looking at her until it was inevitable, but she hid it under a very well-practiced stoicism.

"Anything I can help you with?", was the usual question Dorothea asked the clients, wanting to be as indifferent as possible. She didn't need more worries than she was already having.

"I'm here to apologize", Edelgard rested part of one of her arms on the counter, and Dorothea noticed for the first time the slight trace of scars on her bare fingers. Leaning forward a little so that her voice could be heard over the prevailing music, Edelgard continued. "Some dude told Ferdinand that the rent-a-cops questioned you about what happened".

"I talked to the security staff in charge if that's what you mean and, as far as they are concerned, I failed to recognize any of you", Dorothea informed her, slightly decreasing the volume of the ambient music, but not enough to return to the original volume. "Ferdinand is... who?"

"The one you always see driving our van. Well, his van, technically the band's van...", Edelgard made a circle with one of her fingers, pointing to herself. "The one who doesn't look like this". Dorothea was somewhat taken aback by the slight curve on Edelgard’s lips. A smile. "He's studying to get a degree in International Relations".

"I see the news travels fast through the university".

The two kept silent for a couple of seconds. It was the first time they had a conversation, and Edelgard aroused a great curiosity in Dorothea, but for some reason she didn't want to give in to it. They almost involved her in a serious problem and an apology didn't completely cover the inconvenience she had to go through. Even if she shared their motives behind the band foray into the university grounds. It was Edelgard who, again, broke the silence between the two.

"I came to apologize and also to return this...", Edelgard took something similar to a card from an inside pocket on her leather jacket and extended it to her. "Dorothea Arnault", she added. Without warning, Dorothea felt a strange sensation of warmth in her chest when she heard that voice speak her name.

It was her lost student ID. She took it carefully. And although their fingers didn't touch each other, Dorothea had the impression that Edelgard recoiled a few millimeters unconsciously, perhaps wanting to avoid direct contact between their skin.

"How...?", Dorothea wondered quietly, still staring at the card in her hands, a little bewildered.

"Petra picked it up without realizing it, along some of the papers that Bernie dropped", Edelgard explained, pointing outside the store.

"Petra...?", Dorothea followed the direction the girl indicated. Edelgard greeted those who were waiting for her on the street. The boy just stared, while the other girl smiled and waved back. "You know them. Petra plays the bass in The Black Eagles. Hubert is our guitarist".

"Thank you", was the only thing she could say. Still looking at her ID, Dorothea smiled.

They let the song that was playing come to an end. Edelgard stepped aside when a customer approached them to pay for a pair of second-hand CDs. She approached the zine shelf and began to look through some of them, but her attention was still on the girl a couple of meters away. Trying not to be so obvious, she observed. There was nothing out of the ordinary in what Dorothea did. Four steps: Show the customer the condition of the discs, calculate the final price, manage the cash register and thank the customer for their preference. As simple as that. But Edelgard was enthralled by the rays of the afternoon sun entering through the front window of the store and outlining Dorothea's figure. Her soft brown hair falling in waves on her shoulders, her profile, the way she moved her hands. She had never before stopped to hear the clarity on her voice, or how her tone when addressing Edelgard was a little softer than what she used with the other man.

The doorbell said goodbye to the customer, and Edelgard approached the counter again.

“I read in your ID that you study Vocal Arts or something similar… do you sing?”, Edelgard leaned back on the counter, causing a few strands of hair to obscure her face a little.

Dorothea took time to respond, since she didn't know exactly where Edelgard wanted to go with this conversation. After all, what had happened last night wasn't the best way to start interacting with someone.

“I used to perform with the Mittlefrank Opera Company. I think you know them", Edelgard's gaze seemed to travel to a distant memory for a few seconds.

"I attended one of their productions as a child, a tragic story in three acts, but that was eons ago...", Edelgard took a deep breath, and shook her shoulders a little as if letting go of something that weighed heavily on them. "Do you want to dedicate yourself to the opera, then?"

"If I'm honest, I don't really know what I want to do in the future," while the words escaped from her mouth without objection, Dorothea wondered why she shared something like that with a stranger, technically speaking.

Edelgard didn't respond immediately. The song playing died with a shout from its vocalist and a few seconds of silence fell on them, until an electric guitar riff announced the next track on the playlist.

"Ferdinand mentioned that GMU usually puts up a variety of performances every season", Edelgard averted her gaze for a moment, before turning her eyes back to Dorothea. She tried not to show the surprise on her face when she saw the inquisitive way the girl looked at her behind the counter.

"Classical pieces. Any particular interest, Miss Hresvelg?"

The doorbell interrupted their exchange. Hubert leaned in, with Petra leaning against the window of the store, still playing with her lighter.

"Need to leave, Linhardt wants to review a couple of things about the new track", the boy announced, before closing the door behind him again. Although she tried to hide it, Dorothea noticed the sigh of relief that Edelgard let out.

"I would have liked to chat for a while longer", her voice sounded sincere. "As I said, I'm really sorry about the bad time we pulled you through", Edelgard took a few steps toward the door, hiding her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "If you don't hate us yet, we think of compensate you in some way", Edelgard looked at her combat boots for a moment, being aware of the touch of nervousness that had stained her voice.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Next Friday we have a gig on Crimson Gardens, I'll tell those in charge of the backdoor to let you in", Edelgard leaned against the entrance door and, still looking at Dorothea, pushed it with her weight to open it. "Don't take it as an obligation, but I would love you to attend".

And without waiting for Dorothea's answer, she turned and walked down the street to meet with the other band members, letting the door swing a couple of times until it closed again.

Edelgard's last words were like an echo in Dorothea's mind for the rest of the week.


	5. Track 04

Crimson Gardens is an important venue for the underground music scene in the city. The fact that The Black Eagles were going to play on that stage is kind of a big deal.

Located in a predominantly industrial sector, its somewhat demolished façade gave it the appearance of a building close to closing, and its interior wasn't in much better condition, but those details gave the venue a certain character, unique in the eyes of those who every weekend flocked the bar to lose themselves between their walls. It was infamous for the large rats that seemed to inhabit the adjacent alley and for the multiple graffiti and street art that adorned its outer walls, accumulated over decades of operation. The interior was even more chaotic, with a stage that rose a meter above the ground, a pair of light rails with some spotlights in danger of falling. Since the venue worked in the basement, under an old tattoo shop, it had a relative low height roof.

Although it was almost ten o'clock at night, a line of people waiting to enter and other groups scattered around waiting for the main act to enter were still visible. On the external staircase that led to the lower floor they'd put a neon sign that indicated both the entrance to the venue and the names of the bands that were playing that day. There were three of them, and The Black Eagles was the main act. A somewhat smaller poster was hung over them indicating that the show was sold out.

But if Edelgard kept her word, Dorothea would have no trouble entering.

She walked attached to the wall of the building, not wanting to approach the garbage that rested against the neighboring wall, so as not to disturb any of the rats that lived there. She reached the end of the alley and knocked on the only door there, marked as the emergency exit. She knocked on the door again after a few minutes of silence and it opened immediately, causing her to take a few steps back. On the lintel was a woman with dark hair and very toned arms, covered with various scars, watching her. The expression on her face was of tenuous scrutiny, her eyes looked up and down at Dorothea, her chest rose and fell slightly, as if she had run to get there. Behind her, the two could hear the music of the bar being suffocated by the cement structure of the building.

"I was waiting for you", the woman said, stepping aside. “Dorothea, right? Edelgard described you very well, so I could recognize you", she added when she saw that Dorothea didn't react.

Although still doubtful, Dorothea entered the building after thanking the woman for her kindness. She found herself in what appeared to be a bare concrete corridor, with certain graffiti, phrases or lyrics written in sharpie or paint, which had been conditioned as an escape route. She was guided through it to a staircase that descended to another door. When the woman pushed it, Dorothea felt the sound of the band that was in the middle of its bis go through her body like a little earthquake.

"Be careful with the wires", the woman warned, pointing to the floor.

They walked in the middle of a tangle of cables that arose from under the stage or hung behind the curtain that prevented the public from seeing the back of the venue, Dorothea tried not to step on any, but at times it was impossible. Being a few meters away from the stage seemed impressive, every chord, scream, the depth of the blows in the bass drum, and the way the guitarist seemed to tear the air only accelerated her heartbeat.

“Here you can have access to the bar area", the woman told her how to leave that side of the stage. “If you excuse me, I must attend the bar. The Black Eagles are about to start”, and with that, the woman retired, chatting with a couple of acquaintances along the way.

Dorothea left by the place indicated. The sound of the band mixed with the chorus of voices emanating the audience was deafening, but she adored the electrifying sensation it caused in her body. She had adapted to her usual routine in such a way that traversing that sea of people seemed energizing. After a few minutes, she sat on one side of the bar, next to a couple of people who took advantage of watching the show somewhat further away from the tumult that kept raising their hands in the air, bumping into each other guided by the frantic rhythm of the instruments, even getting on stage to run through it and jump on top of the other spectators.

The climax of the song died with a throaty scream from the vocalist, to which the voices of some of the spectators were added when it fell to the ground on his knees and the microphone approached them.

The band said goodbye between applause and shouts, as they began to disconnect their instruments. The silence was immediately replaced by music from a pair of speakers, which filled the venue while some people retired, but many more entered the premises. The public seemed excited about what was about to happen.

“Something to drink?”, the barista's voice surprised her again, since she didn't notice her approaching. Dorothea turned in her seat so as not to raise her voice so much when answering. "We don't have much variety, but I can do magic with what you see behind me".

"Surprise me", Dorothea smiled at her. The expression on the barista's face didn't change, but she immediately got to work. She was quick, you could tell she had done it for a long time, even though she didn't seem to be much older than Dorothea. "What is your name?"

"Byleth", the woman replied, leaving the drink she had just prepared in front of Dorothea. "Don't worry, it's on the house", Byleth added when she saw Dorothea with a couple of bills in her hand.

"Why?", Dorothea watched over her shoulder as Linhardt, along with the light blue-haired boy climbed onto the stage to connect some amplifiers and assemble the drum set.

"Edelgard asked me for a favor".

The music went down a bit as the rest of The Black Eagles took the stage. The center of the venue began to fill with people and the anticipation could be felt in the air. Linhardt told Hubert that everything was ready to test the sound, after which he went to sit on one of the biggest speakers. Petra connected her bass and played some chords, while Hubert did the same with his guitar. Adjusting the sound from time to time and asking attendees for their opinion. After a few minutes, the girl Dorothea always saw wearing a sweatshirt took the stage. This night was no exception, but for the first time she saw her take off her hood after sitting behind the drum set. Of soft features, and nervous eyes, she kept looking at the faces of the attendees surrounding the stage.

"Like a rabbit", Dorothea whispered, remembering Petra's words days ago.

A deafening scream echoed on the walls of Crimson Gardens when Edelgard made an appearance on stage. She wore her usual leather jacket and gloves, but this time with a white T-shirt with _GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS_ written on it, and tight red flannel pants that ended up getting lost in her combat boots. But Dorothea's eyes didn't seem to notice anything other than the red makeup line along Edelgard's eyes, as if painted with a thick brush, almost like war paint. It accentuated the depth of her gaze. Dorothea wouldn't know exactly how to describe the sensation that caused her to see Edelgard under the stage lights, with the darkness and heavy smoke from the venue surrounding her, sticking out over the mass of shadows that cried out for her music. It was as if a fine line existed separating them all from the figure standing there. She swallowed unconsciously in anticipation.

"Still with energy in your bodies?", Edelgard asked to test her microphone, the audience's response was screaming and fists in the air. “Do those at the back hear loud and clear?”, her gaze scanned the back of the bar and the people who were still arriving. More screams were her response. "I said... do those in the back hear loud and clear?", she repeated, this time somewhat slower, looking directly at the corner of the bar.

Dorothea joined the shouts this time and could have sworn that Edelgard smiled before turning her back to the audience.

"Let's go! Introduce us, Bernadetta".

As soon as those words were heard, Crimson Gardens exploded. Bernadetta, the girl behind the drum set took a breath and began to hit the cymbals and aerial toms. One, two, three blows to the bass drum, which resonated in Dorothea's chest. She opened her mouth a little from the impression, she never imagined the frantic energy that the girl contained in her body. The speed of her solo increased as did the jumps of the public, some dancing, others pushing each other. Some were already on stage to release energy a moment before diving themselves back among the other fans.

"We're going to burn this system!", Edelgard shouted into her microphone and seemed to be the signal for the place to dive into a tornado of chaotic energy.

Petra and Hubert joined the drums and so The Black Eagles began their concert at Crimson Gardens. The first song reminded Dorothea of those anarchic hymns that always managed to ignite the crowds at any type of venue, be it a small corner on some random street, or the legendary stages that every artist aspires to reach. Those whose lyrics speak of the injustices of a system not designed for those who keep it standing, but only for those who created and implemented it, perhaps with promises of better times. Edelgard sang about being born, living and dying under the yoke of a few, and the audience chanted that adagio like a desperate spit to those who held them in that position.

There they were, in the intimacy of a basement, next to a mass of strangers swaying to the rhythm of a primordial dance that everyone seemed to know. The concert continued with Edelgard moving along the stage, while Petra approached those who were sitting next to the speakers and let them sing with their faces very close to her bass. On the other hand, Hubert played without taking the public very seriously, often turning his back and addressing Bernadetta instead, setting between the two the pace of the song. Gradually, the mosh pits appeared, and among them Dorothea sometimes noticed how a light blue haired boy arose, with a smile on her face and an already torn shirt. He seemed to be the muscles of the band. The boy climbed on the stage and took advantage of it by jumping on some of the assistants, who held him a few seconds above their heads.

They played four songs without a pause and the public's energy didn't diminish any bit. Dorothea could feel every guitar riff, the long wailing of the bass, and although it was not humanly possible, she felt like her heart was vibrating with Edelgard's voice and the crazy drum rhythms. Sometimes Petra's voice joined as vocal backup, both in the local language and in Brigid's, and the audience sang her words back, understanding them or not, but they felt them in their souls. The sweat on their foreheads was becoming evident under the flashing lights and Edelgard's white hair shone under them, forming almost a halo around her head. The debauchery in her movements, the outburst in her voice, however indescribable it may seem, if Dorothea had to describe Edelgard at that moment using only one word, it would be free.

The place was almost empty when Edelgard finally approached her after the show. She still looked somewhat exhausted, but Dorothea noticed in her voice that she was satisfied. She came to her side and Byleth handed her a bottle of water, ignoring the vocalist's request for beer.

"And what did you think of the concert? Pretty rad, I would say", Edelgard drank half of the bottle at once and waited expectantly for her response. "A gig worthy of your forgiveness...?"

Dorothea put a finger over her lips, pretending to take her time to respond. Suddenly, she could see a subtle blush appeared on Edelgard's cheeks and how she was holding her breath, even if she wasn't aware of it. Dorothea thought it was adorable, and without thinking she remove a lock of unruly hair from Edelgard's forehead with one her hands.

"Wait, it's sweaty..."

"I don't care", Dorothea assured her. "I'm not upset anymore, so don't worry about what happened", she turned a little in her seat to marvel at the tranquility that seemed to reign at the venue after the hurricane that had been the passage of The Black Eagles. “It was a great show. The best I've been to in a long time".

"Don't joke…"

"I'm serious".

Edelgard finished drinking the rest of the water in silence, while Dorothea reconnected in a certain way with her reality outside that place, returning to her old habit of enumerating in her mind the things she still needs to do when she get home and during the rest of the weekend. The expression on her face must have caught Edelgard's attention, because she looked over her shoulder at the rest of the band, who was almost ready to leave, and then at Dorothea, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"We are going to celebrate at my place, do you want to come with us?"

It was two o'clock in the morning and Dorothea was watching the city lights pass quickly through the windows of the Black Eagles van. It had only one long seat and a free space at the back for the instruments. So, while Linhardt slept in the front passenger seat and Ferdinand drove, the rest of the boys were in the back next to the instruments and some cushions, while Dorothea and the other girls settled in the seat, Bernadetta sitting on Petra's lap to be able to rest better. Sometimes they passed some pothole or braking band, and the whole van shook, but despite how awkward it might seem, Dorothea's heart was beating in ecstasy. For the first time in a long time, she didn't know exactly what the following hours held for her. In some way, it was her little taste of freedom.


	6. Track 05

It was a small apartment in a high-rise building, to the point that the living room and kitchen shared the same space, and Dorothea was sure that, if she extended herself on the floor along its width, perhaps she could touch a wall with her feet and the opposite with the tips of her fingers. But the limited space didn't prevent it from being cozy, they felt comfortable spread throughout it.

Dorothea was sitting on the floor, with her back against the wall, while in front of her Bernadetta showed her part of her sketches and writings. They spread over several worn-out notebooks, even some with their pages held in place by only two or three bracelets of leather joined together. Dorothea had agreed to Bernadetta drawing her a portrait with a pen and was really surprised with the results. Although it was sometimes difficult for her to hear Bernadetta's voice, due to the shyness of the girl, she could clearly see how much she enjoyed talking about things that interest her and receiving honest opinions about her work. Thus, Dorothea learned that the graphic part of the zines that the band distributed on the store was the drummer's work. She also learned a lot about the carnivorous plants that Bernadetta had given Edelgard and that she kept on her balcony.

Linhardt lay down on the couch, covering his eyes with one of his arms, but still awake. Sometimes he took some skittles that were in their package on the floor and brought them to his mouth, eat it one by one. While, standing on the couch and almost always at inches from stepping on the sleepy technician, Caspar, the boy with light blue hair and seemingly unlimited energy, narrated his encounters in the mosh pit and showed the wound that Linhardt had to deal with using the van's first aid kit. Ferdinand, sitting backwards in a chair, laughed with each histrionic gesture of Caspar, while Linhardt yawned and corrected the boy, describing a somewhat more realistic version of the events.

Hubert smoked, sitting on one of the kitchen's furniture, without commenting much, although his lips curved in a slight smile when Caspar talked about a particular high kick that he had unwittingly land in the head of one unlucky fan.

Petra drank a beer while playing darts. She was determined to overcome the score that Edelgard had reached minutes ago, which, as Dorothea noted, wouldn't be easy. But the girl had impressive precision. Edelgard explained, a little too close to her ear, that Petra's grandfather had taught her how to hunt since she was only three years old, so her aim and steady hand were far superior to those of the other band members. They even laughed out loud, while telling her the story of one of the first festivals in which they had been invited to play, which was several kilometers away, and how they stranded themselves in the middle of nowhere when the van had unexpected failures. Petra had lit a bonfire, since at night the temperature was abysmal, and she even taught them which mushrooms were safe to eat or not. Petra said nothing as the band remembered those few days, but she gave Dorothea a proud smile when their eyes met.

The hours passed quickly, between drinks, snacks and conversations. When they were about to open the second round of beer bottles, Bernadetta devised a game that kept them entertained for who knows how long. With gel and a hair dryer, she stylized Caspar's hair to leave it with spikes in several directions, then, everyone took turns to throw their bracelets at his head like the typical ring game at a fair. Later, Dorothea set out to cook some makeshift pizzettas with what she could find in Edelgard's kitchen, and although they were quite simple, apparently that was enough to make her Caspar's new favorite person. Without realizing it, little by little, everyone was falling asleep, some right there in the living room, while others went to sleep in Edelgard's room. Finally, Dorothea and Edelgard sat on the balcony of the apartment, watching the city still in the dark, its main avenues lit, and some windows of near and far departments still illuminated.

"You sing well, Dorothea", Edelgard praised her, rocking her legs a little, which hung from her balcony. Dorothea felt a hint of warmth settle on her face.

"You say it for the karaoke session we did a few hours ago?", Dorothea asked, and Edelgard just shrugged. "I don't think my voice is the best for screamo though..."

"Oh! Oh no! No, that's for sure", they both laughed. After a few seconds Edelgard continued. "But when you sang _Where Not To Return_ , our first song, you know... you sounded good." Although they were side by side, Edelgard leaned a little toward Dorothea to add the following. "I wouldn't mind recording a new version with your vocals as backup, what do you think?"

Dorothea's answer came in the form of a small push with her shoulder. Edelgard returned to her place laughing softly and took a sip of her beer.

"Obviously, being part of that prestigious musical program, that's not something you aspire to do...", but Edelgard's voice died slowly until it fell silent, the way Dorothea looked up at the night sky and watched the clouds cover part of the stars, it was as if her mind was in a completely different place. Those lost eyes reminded Edelgard of the ones she saw in the music store days ago.

"I wish the days were longer, in order to do what I want and not what I should", Dorothea put her forehead on the balcony fence. She smiled sadly and Edelgard felt somehow guilty.

"And what do you want to do?"

"For now... I just want to spend these hours waiting for the sunrise with you", this time a furious blush settled on Edelgard's cheeks, and Dorothea could only smile.

They stayed a little longer talking about various things, until Dorothea asked Edelgard how she had come to live in that apartment. Edelgard was taken off guard by the question, and Dorothea added that she was surprised that it was similar to the apartment where she lived, although in a slightly more convenient location. Edelgard had no problem stating that it was what the money she earned with the band allowed her to rent, although she had evaluated somewhat more spacious options at the time.

"I think I would feel too alone in an apartment bigger than this one", Edelgard confessed, taking the last sip of beer left in her bottle.

"It's almost the same for me", although she was taller than Edelgard, Dorothea adjusted herself so that she could rest her head on the vocalist's shoulder. "Even so... sometimes I have the impression that my place is still too spacious for what I need".

"Doesn't it bother you? I'm not that tall..."

"Don't worry, I feel comfortable like this".

Perhaps it was strange, but she couldn't help feeling that this balcony existed in a dimension apart from the rest of the world. Edelgard spoke softly, as if she wanted only Dorothea to hear her. She told her about her family. Although Edelgard omitted details, as was understandable, she talked about her brothers and sisters, her mother, and the life they led in their family's mansion as children. But now, although she tried to visit her father every time she traveled to Adrestia, she usually didn't stay for long. If she wasn't on the road, she preferred her apartment, small and full of records, instruments and books, where the space wasn't enough for her ghosts to stay.

"My mother was like a white little bird", Dorothea murmured.

"A little bird...?"

"Yes, a white little bird whose wings and voice were snatched away".

Dorothea told Edelgard about the life she led with her mother, and how the first songs she remembers are those that her mother sang to make her sleep. Since always she knew that the only thing she had for her in this life was her voice, since she had lost everything else, and then, she told Edelgard about the circumstances that led her to end up under Manuela's care. She considered the songstress her second mother, her home, and she missed having that warm figure by her side, because no matter how cozy she managed to make her apartment, she always felt that it was too spacious, too quiet, too alien.

Over the mountains, the sky began to change color, the stars that remained in it fading away slowly.

"I should be honest with you", Edelgard whispered, even lower than before, as if it cost her a little to let the words out. "There's another reason why I wanted to get to know you and maybe... it's not the most selfless reason, on the contrary".

"I figured it could be more than just a simple apology...", Dorothea concluded. Being honest with herself, it wasn't something that mattered too her much, but she was curious about the reasons behind Edelgard's interest.

"You know that the Archbishop's visit is approaching...", Edelgard began and while the sun appeared, lazy, to illuminate every corner of the city, Dorothea listened carefully to the protest that the band had planned to implement the day when the highest authority of the Church of Seiros would be present at Garreg Mach University, and Edelgard's personal reasons for this. "I just want them to hear a few truths".

"Then, you need me to access the GMU main auditorium", Dorothea summed up.

Edelgard stood up, being careful with her guest, and breathed the morning air while the first sunrays bathed her face. She extended her hand to Dorothea.

"You don't have to accept right away, but we would appreciate your help", her tone denoted security and Dorothea's heart made an obvious jump in her chest.

"Why tell me all of this?", Dorothea stood up without taking Edelgard's hand, who kept it extended within reach.

"Because you seem interesting to me, Dorothea Arnault", Edelgard shrugged slightly, closing her eyes for a few seconds, then looking back at Dorothea, who instantly had the impression that it would be nice to lose herself in them. "Despite our superficial differences, I have the feeling that we are quite similar at the end".

That disarmed Dorothea completely. She still didn't know exactly what her answer would be, but she took Edelgard's hand in one of her own and, despite the leather glove that covered it, she could feel the warmth emanating from it.

“What do you think about having breakfast outside? There is a cafe that opens very early a few streets away", Dorothea suggested, dragging Edelgard inwards. "I don't think the rest of the band want to go?"

"Don't mind them, they still have a few hours of sleep on them", Edelgard replied, as she let herself be guided out of the apartment.

It was already past noon when she arrived home, but before taking a shower and sleeping for a few hours, Dorothea dialed a cellphone number and sat on her only couch. Her mind was full of thoughts, images and ideas. And, little by little she returned to her habit of making lists of everything she had set aside and what she still had to do. She bit the inside of her right cheek and forced herself to put those thoughts aside. If she didn't, she would surely end up hanging. The call took a few minutes to get through, but when it did, some nervousness seized Dorothea.

“Did I wake you up, Manuela? Sorry, really, but... There's something I wanted to discuss with you".


	7. Track 06

The shouts of the protesters surrounded them, in addition to the sound of the stones and debris crashing into the police cars, shots in the distance, the cops warnings via megaphone that the protesters had to withdraw, and, in the background, Dimitri's distorted speech inside the university's main auditorium. The air around them began to mix little by little with the tear gas, irritating Dorothea's nostril due to the lack of habit, and she imagined that it would only be worse with the passing of the minutes. She received a message on her cellphone and signaled to Edelgard, who was waiting in front of the entrance to the auditorium building next to the rest of the Black Eagles.

"Introduce us, Bernadetta..."

The plan was still complex. A series of demonstrations had been announced both inside and outside the university due to Rhea's presence on the campus. Both the city's police force and the university authorities had announced a strategy of safeguarding for the Church of Seiros's representatives, which included a large deployment of riot police, some water cannons and the university's security staff, although that last one only in a passive role. They had permission to let the police enter the campus if necessary.

The students had organized a demonstration outside the building where the main auditorium of GMU was located; which, as Ferdinand had found out, also considered the installation of a stage for an open microphone. This is where Dorothea came into action, since accessing the auditorium directly would be a problem, but there were other ways to get the message across and she knew someone perfect for the job.

"Let me understand this well... do you want to hack the computer that will be used as a source for the projection in the Archbishop's speech?", Claude asked, still somewhat incredulous.

Dorothea nodded and the boy let out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes and turned a couple of times in the desk chair of the editing laboratory they were in. Claude was part of the Digital Audiovisual Communication program and they had worked on some projects related to music video editing together. She also knew that Claude, along with other kids in the program, used to do independent social work. Finally, the boy stopped turning in his chair and smiled at her, clapping once.

“I will talk to Lysithea. She is our resident tech geek", noticing the expression of doubt on Dorothea's face, Claude added by patting her left shoulder. "Don't worry, she won't miss an opportunity to challenge herself. She's gonna get the job done".

After that she just needed to take care of the audio. Which, in theory, she shouldn't have major problems, but time was limited and although Dorothea had access to the auditorium, it wasn't a job she could do completely alone. So that afternoon, after practice, she stayed a moment back to talk to the perfect girl for the job. Or rather, the only one she knew.

"Mercedes, there's a favor I need to ask of you".

For someone outside their group, revealing part of the plan to Mercedes could be considered a risk, because of her recent ties to the Kingdom. But before becoming members of the same musical program, Dorothea had met Mercedes as a volunteer at the local orphanage, so she knew her perspectives about the abandonment that the children suffer at the hands of the State and the systematic indifference of those in positions of privilege. She would help them.

So, over the next few days, Dorothea and Mercedes spent their afternoons installing speakers, of the many that were in the university's cellar, at different points in the auditorium boxes. They connected them in such a way that every single one was gonna transmit the same external audio.

"Are you sure about what you are getting into?", Mercedes asked once, visibly worried. "I'm not sure if such intervention could be considered grounds for expulsion, but it's a possibility... It's Rhea we're talking about."

"Don't worry, I talked to Manuela... everything will be fine either way", Dorothea said, without further elaboration.

In the middle of the week, Ferdinand approached them, as she expected, since the idea was to enter the band's instruments to the university a few days before the event to keep them in the cellars destined to some of the institutional band's instruments, but it was going to be impossible to achieve that due to the searching of private owned cars that were being carried out by the GMU guards. Nothing suspicious passed without the express authorization of the respective authorities. So they would have to resort to the somewhat more basic instruments of the musical program. Dorothea took advantage of giving Ferdinand the certificate that the security staff had given her to identify herself as a student, so Bernadetta would have time to make some copies and modify them with false information so that the rest of the band could enter the university without major problems on the day of the visit .

Edelgard called her the night before, a few minutes before midnight. Throughout the day television hadn't reported about anything other than the Church of Seiros's visit, mostly focusing on the opinion of political and ecclesiastical groups, relegating the civil demonstrations that had taken part in some streets and the State police's repression to simple reports of four or five minutes. Neither of them could sleep. Dorothea remembered the things that Edelgard had confessed to her, small details that had escaped her lips, disjointed in their presentation, but if she put them together one by one, they formed a horror picture that made Dorothea's blood boil.

"I just... I want them to listen, even if they don't want to receive our message", the Edelgard's voice that came through her cellphone seems a little tense.

Dorothea thought about the Hresvelg family, in each of its members, in the photographs of their faces and how they were reproduced on each television channel and newspaper cover. She thought about the dead eyes of Ionius IX and how they contrasted with the passion and anger in his daughter's eyes.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?", Edelgard asked her, as she had done a couple of times before. Dorothea was expecting it. "You don't have to be present tomorrow; it probably won't end in the best way".

“I'll be at your side. I'm in, all the way”, Dorothea assured her, and although she couldn't see her, she was sure that Edelgard was smiling.

**CONNECTED. TRANSMISSION IN 10 SEC. BE READY.**

Claude's message informed them that Lysithea had managed to establish a stable connection with the cameras they had installed on each side of the stage. Linhardt had been in charge and did his best so that the instruments would be heard as well as possible in those circumstances. Caspar was on the left side of the stage, with a simple gas mask, industrial gloves and a five liter water bottle, ready to neutralize any tear gas grenade that fall nearby. Ferdinand was also waiting on the other side, ready to get involved if it became necessary. Petra, Hubert and Bernadetta wore their bandanas, while Edelgard had chosen not to. She wanted Rhea to see her face perfectly in the transmission, just like any other who was watching her.

Dorothea told Edelgard from behind one of the cameras that she should start, and thus began this intervention as in every concert of The Black Eagles, with a powerful drum rhythm by Bernadetta.

Inside the auditorium, Rhea had positioned herself in the central lectern, in front of all the authorities and guests invited to her inaugural speech. Dimitri had made his introduction and had barely sat down again with the rest of the members of the Holy Kingdom Association when an annoying static was heard throughout the entire auditorium, and a second later the great screen where images were being projected blinked a few times before being occupied by the image of the stage outside the building.

The surprise on the Archbishop's face was evident, and although she tried to regain her composure almost immediately, the tension in her jaw became evident.

"My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg and I have a message for those who impose, regulate and do what's only convenient, but never what's necessary", Edelgard recited while Bernadetta's drum solo increased in intensity. “Rhea, listen! The only church that illuminates is the one that burns!”

The other students that surrounded them and who were also protesting themselves with banners and screaming, began to chant that adage, while the band was carried away by the vertiginous rhythm of their most recent song, prepared especially for this occasion. Dorothea could hear the commotion inside the auditorium, even Rhea's voice above everything else, saying to remain calm before the heretics. Given the demonstrations outside, the people present inside the building could only stay in their places under orders of the security officers. Claude had made it impossible for them to turn off the projectors remotely, so they would have to go to the main control room, which would be conveniently locked. With a mischievous smile, Claude assured Dorothea that time they talked, that whether they wanted to or not, everyone would have to listen.

_Put the gun down, I said asking  
Don't be a coward, please  
Where are my sisters  
Without them I am lost  
Without them I am about to do it  
Friends, let's burn the kingdom  
We will burn the demons  
Cowardly murderers, owners of the nation_

Suddenly, there was a loud bang that startled everyone, followed by shouting and a white smoke cloud caused by a tear gas canister that had fallen a few meters from the stage. Caspar ran to it, still throwing sparks and expelling its contents, and took it in his hands, before quickly throwing it into his bottle, which he covered quickly and shook to neutralize the bomb. The protesters remained in place, while the band continued to play, but two more white smoke trails across the sky made it clear to them that the riot police had entered the campus and were heading there. Ferdinand, Caspar and another couple of students were in charge of kicking or throwing back the grenades that fell too close, but it was becoming clear that in a few minutes the place would be completely bathed in the chemical.

The first group of police arrived in formation, protected with their armor, shield and retractable cane in hand, in direct clash with the first line of protesters, who shouted in their faces trying not to give them excuses for a more violent act. But when they insisted on moving forward, the first push came, and it was the only gesture necessary to put them into action.

“Clear the place! Clear the place!”

Dorothea stayed behind the camera in the middle of the smoke, trying to protect the transmission for as long as possible. Towards her ran one of the policemen, shouting insults that she didn't understand. But he didn't get too far, since Caspar came from behind, kicking him in the back to make him fall. Without stopping, he ran trying to avoid another pair of policemen who were after him.

Edelgard coughed to the side of her mic and continued to sing, even though the tears fell quickly from her irritated eyes. The chords were no longer so clear, but the rest of the band was determined to play until the end. There were only a few song verses left when a group of police officers made it to the stage. One climbed up from behind and kicked part of Bernadetta's drum set, to make room and grab her. In response, he received a kick from Hubert and immediately after a blow to his chest with the guitar. The song ended abruptly. Petra throw her bass and dodged another policeman who had tried to grab her bandana. She got off the stage and pulled the cop's shield trying to make him fall. For her part, Edelgard dropped the microphone when a third policeman, without getting on the stage, took her by one of her boots, lifting it to make her fall.

Her legs moved by themselves, and without even realizing what her reaction entailed, Dorothea ran to the policeman and pushed him with all her might. Edelgard fell, but with one kick she managed to free herself from the policeman's grip. He attacked Dorothea, who was still on the ground recovering from the crash, but Edelgard jumped on him from the stage and made him fall, rolling on the ground, landing a few inches away from him. The smoke from the multiple tear gas grenades was already becoming unbearable and blocked much of the visibility.

"Eddie!", Dorothea crawled to her side. The vocalist lay on her back, somewhat sore, but clearly more annoyed at not being able to open her irritated and teary eyes. Linhardt came to their side with a spray bottle, a mixture of water and antacid. He sprayed both of their eyes.

"They took Ferdinand and Petra!", the boy told them, raising his voice. "We have to…!"

They were interrupted by the fall of a molotov cocktail only a few meters away, which illuminated their faces and forced them to get up and run. But they didn't get very far, in the smoke, another group of police intercepted them. This time it was impossible for them to get away, although they didn't give up. Edelgard tried to throw a few kicks when she saw in the distance as another pair of police dragged Bernadetta trough the ground towards a detention van. After a few minutes the three ended up in another car, along with a couple of more protesters. The stones and other type of projectiles that were thrown at the vehicle were heard, but it began to advance through the confrontation, and after a few minutes that seemed eternal, they were already on their way to the corresponding police station.

When Dorothea opened her eyes again, it was still nighttime, but the sound of the clashes with the police a few blocks away had already calmed down. At this point, they would most likely keep them in custody until the next day. A large part of those who were in that cell with her and in the adjacent ones were slept, but she could tell that the girl next to her had woken up, although she had remained in the same position since then, with her head resting on Dorothea's shoulder.

"I'm sorry", Edelgard whispered, her eyes glued to the tips of her combat boots.

"Why?", Dorothea asked. She rested her head on Edelgard's. The vocalist closed her eyes for a few seconds, they were still a little irritated. On her cheeks, the tears had left an awkward trail in their wake.

"I got you involved knowing that this would be the most likely outcome...", Edelgard's voice denoted clear unease. "You'll have problems at GMU".

Dorothea took one of Edelgard's hands in hers. The girl was startled a little, a part of her glove had torn apart, which made visible some of the scars that, as vines, seemed to curl around the vocalist's skin until getting lost under the sleeve of her jacket. Dorothea gently stroked them, following their path with the tip of one of her fingers. She was aware of the initial tension in Edelgard's body and how, little by little, she relaxed again.

"I don't care," she replied sincerely and this time Edelgard stared at her, not fully understanding. “I'm serious, I've been thinking about it for a while now, maybe an academic path doesn't fill me as I would like…”

They were silent for a few minutes. Dorothea stopped stroking Edelgard's hand, but didn't let go. They ignored the disdainful look of the cop who walked by. From the outside, the first birdsongs were heard.

"Will you still work in that store?", Edelgard sounded a little anxious. Dorothea thought it was adorable.

"Afraid of not seeing me anymore, Eddie?", she joked, and Edelgard lowered her head a little, trying to hide with her hair the blush she felt seized her cheeks.

"I just wonder if you'll take more shifts or you have something else in mind..."

Dorothea thought for a moment. The truth is that, until that instant, she hadn't had time to think deeply about what she would do now that she planned to drop out of university, either via expulsion or raising a withdrawal request. She had some savings and she wasn't really in need of taking more shifts at the store, although if she planned to return all the money Manuela invested on her, even if the songstress refused to receive it, she should surely work longer hours or find a job with better pay.

"Manuela offered me to come back to the opera company...", Dorothea confessed, and she could feel how Edelgard's fingers clutched her a little harder. "It's only one possibility among several, nothing it's defined", she hastened to add.

But they both knew that would mean that Dorothea should return to Adrestia.

"My offer for the cover still stands...", Edelgard said quietly.

Dorothea felt a warmth flood her chest but said nothing at the moment. With one of her hands she fixed some rebel strands of Edelgard's hair, just as she had done after her concert, following the line of these with her fingers, wanting to prolong the contact as much as possible. She thought of that insomnia that sometimes consumed her, drowned in sadness, that indifference that had nestled inside her and that made her desperate when she was too aware of it. But maybe the pain was only momentary...

“Sounds good, Eddie. I would love to."

Edelgard barely reacted, but that smile on her face was enough for Dorothea.

"Let's wait for the dawn", Edelgard whispered, sticking a little more to Dorothea's body. Before closing her eyes, she put her other hand over the hand with which Dorothea was holding hers.

"Ok", at that moment Dorothea knew that, whatever the future held for her, it couldn't be so bad.

**FIN**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song used corresponds to selected verses translated from Quememos el Reino by Camila Moreno.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any grammatical error. English is not my first language.


End file.
